Post-Winter Alloy Wheel Care

Q: I live in an area where they use a lot of chemicals on the roads in winter. I have noticed the alloy wheels on both my Jeep and my truck are getting pit marks on the rims, and there are more severe marks where there used to be wheel weights. Any cure for either problem?

A: Virtually all alloy wheels are painted with silver paint and/or clearcoated. Wheel-balancing weights that clip on scratch that paint, letting corrosive moisture and road salt get to the underlying aluminum. Ditto for any scratch marks -- either made by a careless technician who pops off a tape-on weight with a casual flick of a screwdriver or from the occasional brush with road debris or curbs when parking.

Now that the pitting has gotten a good hold, you'll need to have those wheels refinished. Any decent body shop can do this repair. Never sandblast alloy wheels, or any other aluminum alloy component -- the coarse surface left behind is great for holding paint, but represents millions of tiny stress risers. Those stress marks will degrade the strength of the wheel. Acceptable methods include glass-beading or blasting with crushed walnut shells, polymer media or baking soda, as well as chemical paint remover. Any corrosion pits need to be sanded down, not just filled in with Bondo.

Severely corroded wheels can fail, so don't neglect them. A generous layer of wax will help repel water and salt.

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